Existential Therapy
He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.
- Viktor Frankl
- Viktor Frankl
Philosophy: Primarily centers on the experiences of the client and what it is like to be them. Concepts like freedom, responsibility, and the search for personal meaning are core to this theory.
Application: By helping students connect meaning and purpose to their existence, it helps them take responsibility for their lives, make more intentional choices, and experience more empowerment as they overcome extraordinary challenges.
Goal: To help students experience a deeper sense of purpose, connect more fully to their sense of identity, and develop greater resilience to life’s changes.
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Reality Therapy
Good or bad, everything we do is our best attempt to get what we want.
- William Glasser
- William Glasser
Philosophy: With its foundation on Choice Theory (that all human behavior attempts to satisfy belonging, power, fun, freedom, and survival), this therapy provides the framework to help students meet those needs in ways that healthy, empowering, and transformative. Focusing on the here-and-now makes this another practical approach for school counseling.
Application: One of the main methods is WDEP: Wants, Doing, Evaluation, and Planning. WDEP helps students see if their behaviors are actually serving any helpful purpose.
Goal: For students to make connections between their behaviors and their results, thus to achieve better relationships and academic success.
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Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
The client is the expert on his or her own life.
- Insoo Kim Berg
- Insoo Kim Berg
Philosophy: Antideterministic and strengths-focused, SFBT helps the student articulate realistic and achievable goals.
Application: This approach is highly effective in schools because of its swiftness to address concerns in an efficient manner. By identifying “exceptions” (times when their problem didn’t exist), the student is able to build on existing successes.
Goal: To help as many students as possible and empower them to find their own solutions with tools that are effective beyond the counseling office.
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